Key ingredients: seaweed, algae, parley protein, argan oil | Fragrance-free: yes | Sulfate-free: yes | Who it’s for: people with thinning hair and delicate scalps
Best Scent: Ouai Fine Hair Shampoo
Why we love it: Ouai Fine Hair Shampoo transforms your hair from flat and limp to full-on bouncy. No surprise there—after all, founder Jen Atkin has styled practically every A-lister with to-die-for volume. Packed with biotin and keratin to strengthen and chia seed oil to keep hair ridiculously soft, this shampoo is the real deal and is safe for color-treated hair. “This shampoo strengthens hair, reduces frizz, and adds body,” Cardenas previously shared with Allure. “Plus, it has the most beautiful citrusy scent—think Italian lemon, orange, and jasmine.”
Editor’s tip: When following with volumizing conditioner, “avoid applying it to your roots as this will weigh down your hair and make it flat,” says Nast.
Key ingredients: biotin, chia seed oil, hydrolyzed keratin | Fragrance-free: no | Sulfate-free: yes | Who it’s for: people with fine, thinning hair
Best Sulfate-Free: Amika Big Hit Volumizing Shampoo
Why we love it: Just like how caffeine wakes you up, it can give your hair the same jolt to our hair. Amika Big Hit Volumizing Shampoo energizes limp strands, boosts volume to over twice their usual thickness, and eliminates excess sebum that could drag your hair down. Next, there’s glycerin, which locks in moisture, keeping your hair bouncy, soft, and full of life. And of course, we can’t forget Amika’s signature ingredient—sea buckthorn. Loaded with vitamins A and C, fatty acids, and antioxidants, it nourishes your hair and scalp, promoting healthier, stronger strands. If you’re after that sky-high volume, this shampoo makes your hair feel thicker and look as full as possible.
Editor’s tip: If you have color-treated hair, “volumizing shampoo can be used occasionally in styling, but generally you should avoid using it daily as the clarifying effects can gently strip the tone of the color over time,” says Gili.
Key ingredients: glycerin, caffeine, sea buckthorn | Fragrance-free: no | Sulfate-free: yes | Who it’s for: people with fine, oily hair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do volumizing shampoos really work?
Yes, volumizing shampoos can definitely help boost your hair’s volume, but it depends on the formula, your hair type, and your lifestyle. They’re designed to cleanse without weighing your hair down, using ingredients like polymers to make strands look thicker and proteins to add some strength. “Unfortunately, there are no long-term benefits for volumizing shampoo, being that each scalp is different,” says Gili. “However, the product can create ‘memory’ that can help the body of the hair to last a certain amount of time.”